French_Naval_Aviation

French Naval Aviation

French Naval Aviation

Aviation branch of the French Navy

French Naval Aviation (often abbreviated in French to: Aéronavale (contraction of Aéronautique navale), or Aviation navale, or more simply l'Aéro) is the naval air arm of the French Navy. The long-form official designation is Force maritime de l'aéronautique navale. Born as a fusion of aircraft carrier squadrons and the naval patrol air force, the Aéronavale was created in 1912. The force is under the command of a flag officer officially titled Admiral of Naval Aviation (ALAVIA) with his headquarters at Toulon naval base. It has a strength of around 6,800 military and civilian personnel. It operates from four airbases in Metropolitan France and several detachments in foreign countries or French overseas territories. Carrier-borne pilots of the French Navy do their initial training at Salon-de-Provence Air Base after which they undergo their carrier qualification with the US Navy.

Quick Facts Founded, Country ...

Aircraft inventory

Main article: List of active military aircraft of the French Armed Forces
More information Type, Origin ...

Structure

Active bases of the French naval air arm (status 2013)

Immediately after the end of World War II, the Aeronavale only had Supermarine Seafire Mk.III (Flottille 1F) and Douglas SBD Dauntless dive bombers (Flotilles 3F et 4F).

Components

The flight personnel of the French Navy falls into three categories: fighter aviation, fixed-wing aviation and helicopter aviation.

Operationally the French Naval Aviation has four components:

Units

Operational squadrons are known as Flottilles and normally consist of 12 aircraft :

  • 1F to 10F are carrier based anti-submarine squadrons
  • 11F to 20F are fighter and attack squadrons
  • 21F to 30F are maritime patrol squadrons
  • 31F to 39F are helicopter squadrons

Shore-based training and transport squadrons are known as Escadrilles de Servitude :

  • 1S to 19S are communications squadrons
  • 20S to 29S are helicopters squadrons
  • 50S to 59S are training squadrons
More information Squadron, Insignia ...
Insignia
  • Insignia of pilots of Naval aviation
  • Arm insignia of personnel of Naval aviation
Views of various aircraft previously or currently in service

Retired aircraft

This is a list of retired aircraft that has flown with French Naval Aviation.[25]

From 1951 to 1956, 164 Grumman Avengers were delivered to French Naval Aviation and in service until 1965
The Corsair F4U-7 was the first new aircraft delivered to the French Navy after 1945. It saw action during the Indochina war, Algerian war and operation Musketeer.
The Martin P5M-2 Marlin served in the French navy between 1959 and 1964.
During the Algerian War of independence, the French Navy flew Lockheed Neptunes on surveillance patrol to fight weapons smuggling by sea
The Crusader was the air superiority jet aircraft of the French Navy for 35 years
The Canard Voisin was the first seaplane used by the French Navy

Helicopters and autogyros

See also

References & notes

  1. [1]
    "World Air Forces 2019". Flightglobal: 16. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  2. [2]
    "Defence Key Figures: 2016 Edition". Defense.gouv.fr. Archived from the original on 27 November 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016. (download PDF file or see HTML version Archived 6 September 2015 at the Wayback Machine)
  3. [3]
    "Press Conference" (PDF). Dassault Aviation. 19 July 2018. Archived (PDF) from the original on 20 July 2018. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  4. [4]
    "Press Conference" (PDF). Dassault Aviation. 26 July 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 8 August 2017. Retrieved 8 August 2017.
  5. [5]
    "Le groupe aérien embarqué" (in French). Marine Nationale. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  6. [6]
    "Flotilla 4F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  7. [7]
    "Flottilla 11F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  8. [8]
    "Flottilla 12F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  9. [9]
    "Flottilla 17F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  10. [10]
    "L'aviation de patrouille et de surveillance maritime" (in French). Marine Nationale. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  11. [11]
    "Flottilla 21F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  12. [12]
    "Flottilla 23F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  13. [13]
    "Flottilla 24F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  14. [14]
    "Flottilla 25F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  15. [15]
    "Flottilla 31F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  16. [16]
    AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. October 2022. p. 68.
  17. [17]
    "Flottilla 33F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  18. [18]
    Allport, Dave (October 2020). "French Navy retires Lynx". Air International. Vol. 99, no. 4. p. 11. ISSN 0306-5634.
  19. [19]
    "Flottilla 34F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  20. [20]
    "Flottilla 35F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  21. [21]
    "Flottilla 36F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  22. [22]
    AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. October 2022. p. 66.
  23. [23]
    "Flottilla 28F". French Navy. Retrieved 25 October 2016.
  24. [24]
    "Escadrille 57S" (in French). Ministère des Armées. Archived from the original on 26 February 2018. Retrieved 25 February 2018.
  25. [25]
    "Office of the Historian". history.state.gov. Archived from the original on 21 August 2017. Retrieved 22 August 2017.
  26. [26]
    Grolleau, Henri-Pierre (8 September 2020). "French Navy retires Lynx from service". janes.com.
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